The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1881.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 4041, 10 December 1881, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1881.

The battle of the election has been fought and won, and it cannot be said that the losing army were either wanting in strategy tactics, or perseverance. The friendß of Mr Speight fought hard, and that they were -consistent in their friendship for him can be seen from the fact that he only lost by a minority of 17. "We have all along acknowledged Mr Speight's ability, excellence of character and earnestness, but we have endeavoured also to impress upon the public that when pitted against Mr Sheehan he was contesting the seat against a gentleman infinitely superior, not alone in experience and Parliamentary tactics, but one who had greater weight in the House of Kepre sentatives. As we pointed out, it was necessary for us to have a representative who could not only say, but do something for us. That fulfilment of our desires has been consummated by the return of Mr Sheehan for the representation of the Thames Borough. The. closeness of the contest should be accepted as a compliment by Mr Speight, aud by Mr ! Sheehau as a declaration pregnant with useful lessons. It should also serve as a stimulus to Mr Sheehan to press our interests and necessities more forcibly upon the Ministry and the House, and we have little doubt that it will have | that effsct. Had the majority been larger, the probability is that Mr Sheehan would hare considered the Thames people more satisfied with his past labors than they realy are. But, as it is, it will show Mr Sheehan that the electors are fully alive to the necessary qualifications of a representative, and that they are capable and ready to give an adverse verdict, if necessary, to any man who, having been honoured by their choice, wilfully abandons them. With this knowledge, Mr Sheehan should, as Shakespeare says," doubly redouble " his efforts in gaining for the Thames public their just dues, and the publio works of which they have been defrauded by a government whose idea of equitable division appears to be confined to the expenditure of enormous sums of money in the South Island, and the distribution of a few Ministerial crumbs to the North. With regard to Mr Speight, it has been said that he had not a fair chance given him by the newspapers. He has had a fair amount of space allotted for his speeches in the Star whenever it was possible to give it him, but it was not likely, nor was it to be expected that the editor of the Stab would write in his favour, when he felt it a public duty to the Thames to advocate Mr Sheehan's interest. If in the discharge of what we considered our duty to the public we have failed in securing the endorsement of a large section of our readers, it is a matter for regret, but our action is not such as we would wish undone. We have earned, a reputation for fearlessly expressing our opinions upon matters of moment to the public, and in doing so have been Bolely influenced by what we considered was best calculated to yield the greatest good to the greatest number. If any ill feelings have been stirred up by the late contest it was not our desire, and from the publio utterances of Mr Sheehan neither was it his. We are sure the good sense of all concerned will lead the electors to submit with equanimity to the wishes of the majority., and pay that raspset to tb» opinion^ of their follow men which uodet

altered circumstances they would expect to be paid themselves and their opinions.

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